Action Jacquelyn on the power of community

Today, International Women’s Day, is the perfect time to get to know a Linktree user who embodies womens’ strength and energy. We’re talking Jacquelyn, of Action Jacquelyn, who is a kickass entrepreneur and digital doyenne.

When Jacquelyn posted her first Instagram handstand, four years ago, #fitspo wasn’t a thing. Today she has over half a million Instagram followers and a whole business built around inspiring others to find physical and emotional strength. She isn’t just a fitness influencer, she’s a self-motivated wellness powerhouse.

But it’s not always been this way. A trained ballet dancer, Jacquelyn struggled with not fitting the traditional skinny-girl ballet mould. She followed a dance route and at the height of her career on the cheerleading squad, Laker Girls, for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Cheerleading to cheerless

That tough environment meant Jacquelyn eventually burnt out, suffering from anxiety and depression. After some time out, she eventually found her way to yoga. Today that journey to self-love drives the content she shares with her audience.

And that audience is huge. In addition to the half million Instgrammers, Jacquelyn’s YouTube channel has 36,000 subscribers, her Pinterest garners close to 225,000 monthly viewers and she has another 10,000+ followers over on Facebook. That’s a lot of people to witness her fitness.

I got on a call with Jacquelyn in LA to find out how she does it.

Linktree: Jacquelyn! Tell us about your journey from fitness to wellness.

Jacquelyn: My goal is to stay true to myself – I’ve always had big dreams of making a difference.

I didn’t want to spend time doing anything I didn’t love. I loved dancing, so I became a professional dancer. After that life I became very depressed – I felt a loss of identity. I didn’t have any sort of ‘reason’ to be depressed – I was a personal trainer and I had celebrity clients, which was supposed to be the ultimate for a trainer.

I was training Kris Jenner and people like Gwyneth Paltrow. But, I still felt like I wasn’t doing anything for the world. Now everyone talks about making an impact, but I didn’t have that vocabulary then, I just felt lost.

Now everyone talks about wanting to make an 'impact', but I didn't have that vocabulary then, I just felt lost.

I started to get really bad anxiety and panic attacks, and that’s where my journey of discovering my mind and soul really began. I was so go, go, go. I used to fly and travel a lot when I was little, and then I got to the point where I felt so claustrophobic that I couldn’t even step on the plane.

That’s when I got into yoga. Because back then I was just fitness, strictly fitness! Yoga brought this beautiful, spiritual aspect to my life and I’m so thankful for that.

I ended up getting a job with Bulletproof Nutrition. I wanted a job-job. I wanted to just learn a business, so a startup was appealing to me.

Jacquelyn's morning yoga stretches you can do from bed!

L: It’s such a testament that you came at this from a low point and now this is your full-time gig!

J: The job at Bulletproof allowed me to work from home, and then I felt I was able to rest. I started to wean off my group classes and personal training clients. Working from home meant more me time, and that’s when I started to do more yoga training.

Simultaneously I started posting randomly on Instagram, pictures of me on the beach dancing and things like that. My friend had a camera and we both lived at Hermosa Beach, and we would go to the beach and take really beautiful sunset dance photos.

The photos did very well organically on Instagram. They were getting shared a lot and my following grew, little by little.

I didn’t have any sort of plan. I was starting to work with brands, but I didn’t want to just be a product person. I have a business mind where I looking to create something for myself that had longevity.

At a conference, I met someone who advised me to begin selling online courses. I did exactly what he said to do – I filmed myself and created my first online course and started selling it to my Instagram audience.

People started buying them all over the world – Italy, France, Singapore, and I thought it was so cool!

As people started buying my videos, I thought, this is where the world is going, this is how I'm going to do bigger and better things. I can reach the whole world online.

I loved the idea of reaching people globally, so I taught myself how to have a thriving online business.

L: One of your mantras is “I am one with my community”. Tell us a bit about your community.

J: I like meeting people where they’re at, and I love sharing my years of dance experience and movement online. My community is a hard-working, motivated, inspiring group of women who are always looking for ways to grow and be their best selves.

I felt very lucky that I got to go to dance classes every single day growing up. That’s totally a privilege. So I feel like my Instagram is a way of giving back and empowering people. And I think that the community that I’ve drawn in really appreciates the vulnerability and realness.

They are action takers and they're bad ass women!

They are action takers and they’re bad ass women! They have full-time careers or they’re maybe new moms, and they want to be their best selves. They struggle to find that me-time because they’re doing all the things.

That’s why I created a place online they can call home, where they can easily do a quick workout with me, or a meditation that reconnects them with themselves.

L: How do you plan out your content?

J:I’m always asking my audience what they want, and how I can support them. My approach is very organic – I’ve never been a girl who has a five year plan. I move very intuitively, and it has served me very well!

L: How are you splitting out your time on the business at the moment?

J: I’m usually creating new content, or reaching out to my audience. Right now, I’m putting together a monthly fitness program that will be accessible on an app! My intention is to take the overwhelm out of working out, and make working out simple and fun! With new workouts each week, you will be glowing from the inside out.

Putting this project together has been a lot of hard work, but I absolutely love. I feel so grateful that this is my work!

L: What resources have helped your business that you can share with Linktree users?

L: What advice do you have for women considering launching a business or side hustle?

I would say to first believe that it’s possible, believe that it’s an abundant world and that what they have to offer to the world is valuable. They may not be at the top of their game yet, but everybody’s a teacher and you could always teach somebody something.

When I first started I didn’t put any pressure on myself to make money. I was really doing it because I loved it. I figured if it’s meant to be that the money will come. And I think that’s where a lot of online entrepreneurs or influencers make the mistake of putting a lot of pressure on themselves to make money right away, and that takes away the authenticity, creativity, and passion. Instead, keep your day job and hustle at your passion!

On other influencers in the same space, Jacquelyn says believes that there's more than enough to go around for everybody. "It's really powerful when we all can come together and realize we're all in this together."

It’s pretty easy to see why Jacquelyn connects so well with audiences when she’s that candid and open to sharing! We send out a huge thank you to Jacquelyn for inspiring so many other woman.

Oh and Jacquelyn’s favourite tree? A coconut tree!

Key Takeaways from Jacquelyn

Let your audience guide you on the content they want to receive.

Don’t underestimate how long content takes to create, or how many places it feeds!

Everyone has something to teach. Start there.

Try not to place financial pressures on your side hustle – it can block creativity.